Washing-machine



L. F. FAY.

WASHING'MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1921.

1,390,521, Patentedsept. 1s.- 1921.

A TTORNE Y.

unirsi)g srAis PATENT OFFICEJ Liio ryrAY, or Econsn,,Micii'icriiiv'.V i

WASHING-MACHINE# Application filed February T0 all LD/1,0m t may conce/m l Be it known that I, Lno F. FAY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ecorse, county of l/Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Implrovement in Vashing-Machines, and Vdeclare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it pertains to make and use the saine, reference beingV had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecilication. v

This invention relates to an improvement in washing machines shownin `the accom-g panying drawings andV more particularly described in the following specification and 1 claims.

The primary object of the invention is lan improvement in the construction of the washing machine shown and described in my co-pending application for patent'filed February 9, 1920, Serial Number 357,219.`

The present invention relates more particularly to a vyieldable driving connection established between theelectric motor and the vertical reciprocating spindle carrying the vacuum cup or beaten-in which a rock ing lever having an 'automatic laterally` movable fulcrum is provided whereby in the event of overloading the motor, the latter will not be stalled but continue to operate that it may not be injuredor burned .as a

result of the overload lVith the foregoing androtlier objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the .invention further resides in y the combination andV arrangement of parts and in the details of construction'hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in thepreoise embodiment of the inventionv herein shown without departing from the .spirit ofr the same.

r- .In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication: Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional vie ,i through the clothes containeror tub of a washing machine, showing-an electric motor, the vertically .reciprocable spindle carrying the beater, the automatic laterally movable rockingv lever and connecting mechanism for actuating said spindle by the motor. l

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view with parts in section of a pair of co-acting clevises-to which the rocking lever for actuat- 7,1921.; serial No. 442,980.

.i tliebeaterfspindle is fulcrumedtaken on or about line 2-2 of Fig. l.` .f .Y Y Fig. 3 is an elevationwofadetail 4partly `in section ofthe linlrconiiection between the rockingl lever and the reciprocating Vspindle Fig. l. -V u v yIt is Well known `that if` as aresultfof carelessnessA the volume orr character of the clothes placed in a washing-machine actuated by anI electric motor vshould v.prevent i thefbeater fromgreciprocating it fwould Specification of Lettersviatent. Y153'@gngid",Sept 13 ;vtaken on or about line 3T3 of l cause .the motorto stall vand-would prob ably eventuate. in burning ,outr7 the latter, at great lossand inconvenienceto the owner.

the tub being .packed'pwithf clothes the operation of the motor will not cease even'thoug'h of itspredeterinined stroke. y Referring nowto the letters of placed upon the drawings:

A., denotes a Clothes container .ori tub.v

mounted on a suitable supporting frame B. A indicates a removable cover for kthe tub, C, designa-tes an annular beater secured to dle D reciprocable'. through .an elongated sleeve E mounted in theftubA, and which-is litted withthe usualstuiiingbox,Qnot shown..

reference the upper end of a vertically movable spin-'1 The purpose of this invention therefore is to. provide meanswvliereby in the event of 5 the beater is Vheld against moving the length Mfis a spring attached at one end tothe?. frame and at theother` to a link F, connect- `ing the rocking lever, G'with the spindle E ofthe beater. N is an electric motor.

with aworm gear (not shown) in mesh .with

y a worm gear (not shown) yon the crankshaft 'y Y P,]ournaled linai suitable bracket vdepending from the frame 'of the machine.

Q indicates a pitman connecting the crank shaft P with the rocking lever G.

Having now indicated the several parts by reference letters the construction and operation of the device Will be readily Vunderstood..

ioo N" is a shaft; actuated by the motor provided It may be assumed that a sufficient overload of clothing has been placed in the tub to arrest the proper operation of the beater. This however will not cause the motor to stall or burn-out as the crank shaft P continuin its counter clockwise operation will force t e rocking lever G,-and the clevises to which it is fulcrumed to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, against the action of the spring L. Upon the crank shaft passing the point indicated in dotted lines in its counter clockwise movement the spring L will return the clevises and rocking lever to their normal position, the spring M, serving to check the back-lash or jar that would otherwise result. The leg eX- t'ension J being a relatively heavy casting, serves as a stop or abutment to receive the end of the rocking lever and the spring M Yhas sufficient tension to relieve the jar that `would otherwise result from the return of the rocking lever to its normal position.

In the ordinary operation of the machine ythe clevises H and H will not be moved laterally to change the position of the fulcrum of the rocking lever ,#this action only taking place when the volume of clothes placed in the tub is above normal or when the motor is forced to stop from some other abnormal cause, as when the spindle is held against reciprocation while the motor is in operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. A motor, a movable spindle fitted with an operated device, a rocking lever, means actuated by the motor for operating the 'rocking lever, a movable fulcrum for the dle, and resilient means for checking .the

sudden return of' the rocking lever to its initial position.

2. A motor, a vertically movable spindle, an opeiated device fitted to the spindle, a

'rocking lever, means actuated by the motor for operating` theJ rocking lever, an adjustable fulcrum for said rocking lever, resilient means for returning and yieldingly main` taining said lever in'its normal operative position, a link connection between the swinging end ofthe rockinglever and the 8. A motor, a vertically movable spindle, y

an operated device fitted to the spindle, a rocking lever, means actuated by the motor for operating the rocking lever, an adjust-V able fulcruin for said rocking lever, resilient means for returning and yieldingly maintaining said lever in its normal operative position, a link connection between kthe swinging end of the rocking lever and the spindle, resilient means for checking` the jar due to the sudden return ofV said rocking lever to its normal position, and a suitable abutment bolted to the end of the frame, adapted to receive the impact of the rocking lever when restored to its'normal position through the action of the first named resilient means.

a. A motor, a vertically movable spindle,

an operated device fitted to the upper end of the spindle, a rocking lever, a clevis piv` otally connected with thev frame, a secondclevis pivoted to the first named clevis and to the end of the rocking lever to provide an adjustable fulcrum for said lever, a spring connected with the frame and with said last named clevis to yieldingly main# tain the rocking lever and fulcrum'in its normal position, a link connection between the swinging end of the rocking lever and the spindle, a spring connected with said link connection and the frame to check the sudden jar occasioned through the return of the rocking lever to its normal position under the action of the first named spring,

and means actuated by the motor for operating the rocking lever. Y Y

5. In a washing machine, a motor, a movable spindle fitted with a clothes beater, a rocking lever, means actuated by the motor for operating the rocking lever, a movable fulcrum for the rocking lever whereby the rocking lever may be automatically shifted to adjust itself to load conditions, a linkV connection between the swinging end of the rocking lever and the spindle, and means for returning and normally maintaining` the' movable fulcrum in its initial position, whereby the rocking lever may actuate Ythe clothes beater under normal load conditions.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifiy cation in the presence of two witnesses.

LEO F. FAY.

lWitnesses S. E. THOMAS, JOSEPH A. RosnNnRGnR, 

